Albert Camus' Caligula, Act 1

(1.)

Camus demonstrates Caligula’s “heart” first through the assumptions made by the patricians of younger people. An old patrician says, “[Young people] take things hard. But time smoothes everything out” (Camus 4). The old patrician is arguing that although Caligula is troubled by his sister’s death and may go about coping in a strange way he will give into the system and get over it and move on in life. Then, Camus brings Caligula in to speak for himself. And like everyone he has desires, but he has recently found out that some things are impossible, like bringing his sister back or obtaining the moon. Thus he wants to teach people to make them understand this truth, truth that people lie to console you, that you cannot solve or change everything to be happy.

(2.)

The patricians and those in power view Caligula and his “heart” as young and like everyone else. The death of his sister is problematic because he cannot answer why she died. The patricians say that eventually he will forget about such questions and just give in to the system and cycle of life. For instance, a patrician says, “I lost my wife last year. I shed many tears, and then I forgot” (Camus 4). In time, Caligula will stop trying and give into condolences and lies. I agree with this view on broader terms but not in the case of Caligula. Caligula has realized that he in unable to answer the question, “why” and says, “Men die; and they are not happy” (Camus 8). He knows they die unhappy because they have lost things that cannot be accounted for nor brought back. Therefore he sees the lies and deceit around him and refuses to buy it; instead he will teach what he has learned.